So... just setting up a general thread for explaining this crazy mess piece by piece... by piece. It's definitely all still a work in progress, but I figure getting it out here will help it materialize a little more.

That said, our first installment will here feature Laguna and Quistis:

We'll start with the Handler of the pair. Laguna Loire is here seen as a Portuguese man who takes life at an easy pace. He's done mandatory military service (as per Portuguese national law, as conscription orders still in effect until 2004) and actually can handle himself okay in a fight. After his term in the military he pursued a life in journalism abroad, giving him basic information gathering skills and an interest in foreign languages (although he's only fluent in Spanish and Italian due to their similarity to his native Portuguese). He also has a hodge podge of other skills that show up at odd times, but he claims his main selling point is his ability to appear non-threatening. Although sometimes it may be hard to tell if Laguna is a secret mastermind hiding behind an incompetent facade, the general consensus is that the man is simply unbelievably lucky.

Laguna joined the SWA more as a means of convenience than conviction. While doing commissioned investigation into the sightings of "girls with guns" (paid for by the FRF in hopes of exposing government corruption), he was caught by some Section 2 support staff and nearly executed on the spot. However, one of Section 2's political sponsors, a certain senator Caelum, was intrigued by Laguna's investigative skills and pulled a few strings to get him instated as a Handler. This leads to the thought that Laguna has been shoehorned into the situation and isn't actually qualified for the work. Accordingly, he is given a cyborg with a light conditioning load because it is assumed he will die in the field and the staff want to be able to salvage his partner when he does. Laguna is only vaguely aware of this sentiment, however, and mostly does his job with a smile.

Laguna originally prefers the use of a custom made sub-machine gun designed for detached concealment, but eventually becomes fond of the Heckler and Koch MP5 in more heated conflicts. His handgun of choice is the small Beretta 21A Bobcat, perhaps reflecting his reluctance to use combat as the first means of approach. Unlike most of the handlers who drive luxury vehicles, it should also be noted that Laguna's personal transportation is a 1990 Toyota Tacoma he bought used. This only serves to reinforce his image as the lowclass know-nothing of the group. Figure B: Laguna's Machine Gun

Quistis Trepe, Laguna's partner in crime, is roughly a 1.5 gen prototype cyborg who, as noted above, lacks the same conditioning levels of her sisters. This leads to a looser sense of loyalty to Laguna as Quistis struggles to reconcile his antics with her job. While Laguna does have his own set of outstanding talents, Quistis is the more disciplined of the two and more or less assumes the role of Laguna's secretary and bodyguard. She assists him with research, keeps him safe in the field, and reminds him of the many rules he's rather quick to forget. Sometimes she can't help but wonder if operating alone would yield better results.

Pre-conversion, Quistis was a French orphan who was abducted by a group some believed to be linked to the SWA. Laguna was actually tracking her convoy when he got caught by Section 2. Due to some altercations her group ran into, Quistis was badly injured protecting another girl in the convoy. When told that her condition would continue to deteriorate, Quistis actually volunteered herself for cybernetic conversion. "I'm a dead girl anyway," she noted wryly. "Might as well make some use of what's left." Whether this was optimism or a morose sense of humor (or if she simply didn't understand what life she was getting herself into) it is agreed that Quistis has adjusted fairly well to her new life, despite her current barely-there conditioning load.

Cyborg who has to be the adult of the pair? Monty feels her pain. As to Laguna, thanks to the line about "Although sometimes it may be hard to tell if Laguna is a secret mastermind hiding behind an incompetent facade, the general consensus is that the man is simply unbelievably lucky", the mental image I'm getting is:

Wow, that's an original idea, me like!The odds are stacked against poor Laguna because the staff feels he probably won't make the cut in the long run and die on duty, so they are lickin' they're collective chops to get at the cyborg. Meanwhile she is coming out on top as the apparently more capable (or at least the more reliable, rules-wise) of the two.Also Quistis has: "...current barely-there conditioning load." which makes me wonder with such small doses of Conditioning Drugs, does she remember her past, or parts there of? If so, having access to her past, will that affect her relationship to the other girls?

tremec6speed

Forum Posts : 1977

Fan of : Lauro and Olga!

Original Characters : Vinson/Helen/Salvatore + Gunther/Ayden. Baddies are a small group of 'techno-anarchists'

Comments : I hope to include a short illustrated fanfic story of both Mr. Yutaka Aida's characters as well as some I've come up with.

In light of the recent Dual Trigger Extra, I figure now is as good a time as any to introduce our next fratello, Cyan and Terra.

Cyan Garamonde: Originally known as Kaien Kuromundo. A half-English, half-Japanese man, Cyan Garamonde(Final Fantasy VI) worked as a bodyguard for much of his life and is well versed in various foreign cultures pertaining to his employer, a well traveled business man by the name of Owaka(Final Fantasy X). Cyan lived well, eventually becoming Owaka's business partner and starting a family. Unfortunately, it was not to last. Cyan and Owaka set up government contracted operations in Southern Italy and eventually became a target for the FRF as a shining example of immigrants usurping domestic operations. By striking a deal with the Camorra, the Five Republics Faction had Cyan's family and business targeted. Cyan was the sole survivor of the attack.

After a frustrating few months trying to pursue justice in court, he was taken in by a certain Senator Caelum (Final Fantasy XV) who felt partially responsible for not stepping in earlier. Cyan was then assigned to work for the SWA while in its budding stages. There he was employed as a handler and formed a bond with Terra, his charge. Some theorize he treats her as a substitute for his lost family.

Although Cyan is often a stern man, he is very protective of Terra and considers her his closest ally. In a world where he is constantly seen as a foreigner, he rewards her loyalty with his own. He doesn't entirely trust the SWA and their tactical solutions, but he understands discipline and will do almost anything that is asked of him. While some of those higher on the food-chain question his reliability from time to time, Senator Caelum's endorsement has kept Cyan relatively clear of suspicion.

In the field, Cyan is partial to small arms and has taken a special liking to the Beretta 93R "Raffica Pistol". He prefers to take a cautious approach and is better suited to escort or defense missions than assault.

Terra (Final Fantasy VI) is a South African girl who has mysteriously ended up very far from home. She was found by the SWA on a derelict vessel near Mazara del Vallo after being shot through the forehead and sustaining other wounds. By a sheer miracle, the bullet only graze the frontal lobe and Terra (then Christina) was still alive, though in critical condition.

After testing as extremely compatible for Cyborg conversion (an attribute that was later linked to a previous infusion of an experimental substance known as "magitek"), it was determined that Terra could be revived using the conditioning programming as a stimulant. Terra then underwent conversion and was assigned to Cyan Garamonde, an agent with ties to Senator Caelum.

While Terra has exceptional combat abilities, she is psychologically fragile due to conflicts between her magitek altered chemistry and her conditioning. The magitek infusion has unexpectedly preserved pieces of her previous life and will occasionally prevent the conditioning's behavioral codes from working properly. Still, she completes her missions and is efficient in the field. With how quickly she's picked everything up, it's been assumed she had at least some firearms experience in her previous life.

In the field, Terra is known to employ the Dragunov SVU-A sniper rifle in long-mid range combat alongside various handguns. She favors Glock designs, but anything will do. While usually controlled and timid, Terra can fall into a "Feral/Berserk" state on the battlefield and become very aggressive under the right circumstances. Under the influence of this battle trance, she employs savage CQC techniques and will brutally assault any perceived threats in her immediate vicinity.

Off the field, Terra is a quiet girl who spends large amounts of her time thinking on subjects cyborgs are generally not meant to question.

Also, to avoid rudely ignoring the kind people who dropped by to comment...@Alfisti Quistis stiffly rejects the condolences. If she has to pick up the slack to make this fratello work, then that's just what she'll do!

In all seriousness, Quistis has a hard time not focusing on work. She's adapted so much to Laguna that she cares more about doing his job right than, well, developing her own interests. With Quistis' typical pragmatism, although she will get exasperated with Laguna she never feels she shouldn't be in her position. From her perspective, she's not doing anything out of the ordinary.

...I'd also love to know what that image of lucky Laguna happened to be. It doesn't seem to be showing up for me...

@tremec6speed: Original? Possibly. Workable? That one's more up for debate. An interesting premise is worthless if it leads to nothing, yes?

That aside, it seems you've caught on to the general gist of this fratello's premise. The Handler is of dubious quality, but that necessitates putting a little more slack on the cyborg's leash. It's a setup meant for internally focused tension that ultimately leads to "When the higher ups lose patience and order Quistis to knock Laguna off, will she actually listen?". They're a quirky pair that may borrow a little heavily from Jethro and Monty mixed with Bernardo and Beatrice, but I hope to bring up some interesting thoughts with them, at the very least.

Quistis may not necessarily be anti-social, but keeping up with Laguna necessitates a large chunk of time devotion that keeps her interactions mostly limited to her room mate: Aria. Also, because Quistis has largely accepted her lot in life, remembering her past as a neglected orphan only makes her more thankful for the current opportunities she's been given.

That's not to say she's without a certain sense of self-awareness though. When she does finally get to making connections, Quistis actually takes on a mothering role, similar to Triela. After all, after looking after Laguna for so long it's sort've become her modus operandi.

Hmm... yes, that's probably a good parallel. They definitely both fit into the "Quixotian Hero" archetype. However, to give a pretty good taste of what Laguna is like (at least in his original iteration)...

Vincent Valentine: A former Section 1 agent who prefers to work alone, Vincent Valentine(Final Fantasy VII) is a unique case in many respects. He is extremely athletic, a near perfect shot, and the proud owner of a near consummate service record. Unlike most handlers, he prefers to be right at the front line alongside his cyborg and trains himself relentlessly to remain on her level.

Vincents first steps into Section 2 began with his wife, Dottore. Lucrecia Valentine-Crescent(Final Fantasy VII), a medical expert researching magitek. Through her, he became close friends with her colleague, Dottore Gast Faremis(Final Fantasy VII), and was eventually made godfather to the good doctor's daughter. Within the walls of Section 2, the two families made a firm pact with eachother, acting as trusted allies in a world of shadows and secrets.

When Dottore Cid Marquis del Norte(Final Fantasy VI), the doctor who invented magitek, mysteriously manages to escape the Agency, Dr.s Faremis and Valentine were thrown into long weeks of trying to recover their superior's work. The period took a toll on Gast's relationship with his daughter, Aerith Faremis(Final Fantasy VII), as he became irritable and absent from her life. In an attempt to repair the rift, Vincent sent the Faremis family to an opera one fateful night. Reluctantly, Gast agreed.

On the way back from the performance, however, the family was ambushed, Gast was kidnapped, and Aerith was left on the brink of death. As Aerith's condition refused to stabilize, Section 2 approached Vincent with an offer: save her life through cybernetic conversion in exchange for his services as a handler. Understanding the life of a combat cyborg, but consumed by guilt, Vincent agreed to the conditions without any delusion of things returning to normal. Instead, he dedicated himself and his cyborg to hunting down the terrorists that had left her an orphan.

In battle, Vincent enjoys using the rare American Bren-Ten Marksman Special handgun. He is also well versed in close quarters combat, armed and unarmed, and a student of parkour. He is reluctant to rely on his cyborg to take point and uses her in more of a support role. Eventually though, he will have to come to grips with what she has become and what he has made her.

Aria (Aerith Faremis). Cyborg assigned to Vincent Valentine, Aria is good natured and well adjusted. Although she occasionally dreams of her past life, she is confident Vincent holds the answers she seeks and is content to work alongside him. However, this easy, outgoing personality hides an independent mind. Prior to her conversion as a cyborg, Aria was given a magitek infusion. As with Terra, this somewhat messes with Aria's conditioning and leaves some thoughtways open that normal conditioning would close. Because Aria expresses the symptoms of a well conditioned cyborg, however, it's hard to tell how much of her loyalty is personal choice and how much is dictated. As a side note, it is known that Aria was not particularly happy to find Vincent was married.

.

Although Aria is a 1.6 design cyborg, her handler has specified her role as support and defense, resulting in more nods to the sturdier Gen 1 specifications than the lighter Gen 2s. Officially, her designated specialist role is "Breacher", but Vincent often modifies it to "Lookout", "Firesupport", and occasionally "Field Medic". Surprisingly, Vincent has not invested much in her marksmanship and instead encourages her investigative skills. Although this clashes with her natural role design, Aria is more than happy to oblige her handler's wishes.

In battle, Aria is most often deployed with a Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun. For more covert occasions, Vincent has fitted her with a Welrod Sleeve-Gun. Neither option gives her much in the way of long-range combat, but Vincent's taste for aggressive battle tactics often take care of the distance fairly well.

Finally, Aria is roommates with Quistis and often asks the older girl for help in her studies. Although she is aware that Quistis is jealous of Vincent, Aria does her best to keep things civil and upbeat.

And this other one that I need to get in so they can join the Football Cup:

Figure E: Jecht and BreskaJecht: An Israeli ex-pat now living in Italy, the man known only as "Jecht"(Final Fantasy X) is one-part legend, one-part mystery, and all parts steaming vengeance in the wake of his son's disappearance. Blocked at every turn due to his immigrant status, Jecht was eventually picked up by an underground group known as COSMOS. COSMOS agents revealed to Jecht that they had been tracking the same disappearances he had and offered him a place as a field operative. Running low on options and eager to do something about the situation, Jecht agreed and was assigned control over a unit called "The Lost Children", formed from recruited street orphans in Florence.

It was also during this time that COSMOS revealed a special project to Jecht: Operation Dragon Heart. Using technology developed by a certain government agency, leaked courtesy of one Docter Cid Marquis del Norte, COSMOS had created a cybernetic child soldier. This agent was handed off to Jecht to act as his personal assistant and protege. Jecht took a shine to the child and named her Breska in honor of one of his former squadmates: Braska(Final Fantasy X). While the Lost Children struggle to live up to his expectations, Breska provides a mainstay for Jecht's hopes as he continues to search for his son.

In heavy combat, Jecht prefers the U.S. made M16 A2 rifle. For small scale conflict, he carries an IMI Desert Eagle handgun. Jecht's massive physique also lends itself to close-quarters brawling.

Out of combat, Jecht is a follower of sports, a connoisseur of alcoholic beverages, and a lover of folk-songs. Although he is rather self-conscious of his gravely voice, he can sometimes be found singing old yiddish tunes to himself.

Breska (Penelo):

Figure F: Perspective sketch of BreskaBreska, formerly known as Penelo(Final Fantasy XII), is a prototype "Offbrand" cyborg. Her design is heavily based off of Gen 2 plans smuggled by Dottore del Norte but is further oriented towards agility while sacrificing structural reinforcement. This has been combined with experimental self-repairing technologies recovered from the Estheim incident in order to create a cyborg light enough to avoid suspicion without constantly having to bring her in for repairs.

In order to make up for her lack of power, Breska has been trained by Jecht to master her body and perfect her movements for maximum efficiency. She runs, jumps, and hits like an Olympian. Jecht has focused her early education on free-running, aikido, and pressure points, but he's more than happy to round her skills out into other areas. For example, it's rumored she gives a mean back massage.

In combat, Breska wields the IMI Negev Machine Gun alongside an IMI Desert Eagle Pistol. She works closely with Jecht as his forward eyes and ears and has worked out a system of tactical communication with him based on taps. Completely devoted to her handler, whom she calls "the Great Jecht", Breska has been trained to anticipate his favorite strategies and compliment his movements to a T.

When off the field, Jecht has taught Breska to perfect her techniques and keep alert. Breska tends to keep to herself, a large contrast(but good compliment) to Jecht's assertive personality, but she enjoys listening and is particularly pleased whenever she gets to hear Jecht sing. Secretly, she is also Jecht's confidant and will sometimes feign sleep to let him get his hidden doubts on the table without fearing a coherent witness. Her greatest fear is that she will be abandoned once Jecht finds his son.

Comments : .
Mario Bossi would make a better handler than Marco Toni. Come to think of it, so would Christiano.
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Elizaveta didn't jump - she was pushed.
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Sofia was pregnant. It would have been a boy.

Ah well... unfortunately that's a little non-negotiable for the DT main canon. As with many of the other girls around here, there are "General Cyborg Central" versions of these characters available, but the actual Dual Trigger ideas I have tacked down mostly involve stuff going down before 2nd Gen cyborgs become a thing so integrating the mainly 2nd gen populace probably wouldn't work so well.

Some general sketches from the archive. Some exhibiting my not-quite-as-good earlier days...These include:CyanJechtBreskaAriaVincentClaire "Lightning" FarronLaguna and QuistisA certain overworked enemy design that may or may not appear in the second actAnd a cover for one of the second act entriesI'll try to keep all direct Dual Trigger Art in this thread, but there are a few extras that may find their way into the "Art Sometimes" one. See you all soon!

Last edited by Chronic Guardian on Thu 17 Nov 2016 - 14:28; edited 2 times in total

Comments : .
Mario Bossi would make a better handler than Marco Toni. Come to think of it, so would Christiano.
.
Elizaveta didn't jump - she was pushed.
.
Sofia was pregnant. It would have been a boy.

You know what? I'm just gonna post the "source" characters here for a point of reference. All image credit is not mine*.Cyan Garamonde:Terra Branford:Vincent Valentine (as a "Turk"):Although, most people recognize him as more looking like this:Aerith Faremis/Gainsborough:Laguna Loire:Quistis Trepe:Jecht:Penelo/Breska (although she has blue eyes in this picture for some reason... Canonically they're brown):As you can see, I've taken quite a few creative liberties in the adaption process (such as Jecht no longer carrying an anchor for a sword); but it's what's inside that counts, right?

Bonus bits: Although we see large age gaps here, I could concievably call on canon time differences in each case to back up why each girl is cyborg age. Admittedly Vincent would be mid-to-late-forties (He's 35 years older than Aerith in Final Fantasy VII), and Laguna would be just one the brink of his forties (26 years difference from Quistis), but Cyan would work well enough (32 years canon age difference from Terra, landing him in his early-mid forties for Dual Trigger). Jecht doesn't actually have a stated age in canon, but 1) he's from a different Final Fantasy than Penelo, so there's no chronological anchor between them and 2) because we're working with Jecht's son (the main hero of Final Fantasy X) being around age ten or so, Jecht is about a decade younger than canon.

...Man, it's been a while since I've busted out the Final Fantasy source knowledge. Of course, I'm not sure how relevant it is to this discussion, but it's still nice to exercise every now and again.